Police ask for help to solve Westbrook woman's death

Margarita Fisenko Scott found dead last week

Portland police are asking for the public's help as they continue to investigate the death of a Westbrook woman.

The body of 29-year-old Margarita Fisenko Scott, of Westbrook, was discovered slumped over in the back seat of her SUV parked outside the Motel 6 in Portland last Thursday.

Police ruled her death a homicide on Friday.

In news conference on Tuesday, police did not release any details about her death, but said they are trying to establish a timeline of her activity leading up to her death.

Detectives said they have talked with the victim's parents, who said they immigrated from Kazahkstan many years ago and speak little English.

Police said the victim's family and her husband have been very cooperative.

On Monday, evidence technicians spent several hours processing the scene at an apartment house at 266 W. Concord St. A car was also towed from the driveway to be analyzed.

Police said a tip came in saying there may be a connection between this apartment house and the homicide.

Portland police Lt. Scott Pelletier said Scott may have stayed for frequented the apartment during December.

Investigators wouldn't say what kind of evidence, if any, was removed from the building.

"We continue to establish a timeline of the victim's movements -- where she may have been employed, locations where she may have been staying, as well as identifying other people who may have been spending time with her," Pelletier said.

The tenants that lived there have since moved out and police said they have been questioned and are being cooperative.

"Obviously, the victimology would be extremely important to see what type of people she would be hanging around with and that's why we're asking the public to come forward," Pelletier said.

Scott's husband, Cary Scott, was distraught during a phone conversation with News 8.

Police said he has also been cooperative. He told News 8 that he hasn't seen his wife since Nov. 10 after she packed up and left home.

Cary Scott said he had been alerted that the couple's SUV was sitting in a Motel 6 parking lot on Riverside Street in Portland last Thursday.

Investigators said Cary Scott and a friend went to investigate and found the victim slumped over in the back seat.

Scott said he had spent three hours being interviewed Sunday at Portland police headquarters. He said he loved his wife and had nothing to do with her death.

Scott's cousins, Alla Sherstyukov and Denis Stikin, said they had not heard from Scott since early November.

"She trusts people. She always has and I think that could, as much of that is a good characteristic in a person, I think it's possibly can be a bad characteristic because we don't if she trusted the wrong people," Sherstyuko said.

Police have not released Scott's cause of the death, but family members were told it is likely she was killed somewhere else.

Investigators said they have received at least a dozen tips but they need to get more to retrace the victim's final steps.